######## surrounding the article denotes it is a “press release”
and was not written by Leasing News nor information verified, but from the source noted. When an article is signed by the writer, it is considered a “by line.” It reflects the opinion and research of the writer. It is considered “bias” as it is the writer’s viewpoint.

Archives January 14, 2001
Top Ten Reasons for Staying in Equipment Leasing

The seemingly daily doses of discouraging news on the economy and our industry inarguably has some of your readership questioning why they are staying in the leasing industry.

I thought I would share the recently published "Top
Ten Reasons for Staying in the Equipment Leasing Industry".

TOP TEN REASONS FOR STAYING IN EQUIPMENT LEASING

10. I love my sales manager, he/she is so understanding
9. To hear a lessee utter those three magic words: "What's the Rate?"
8. I love the abuse and frustration
7. For the gratitude when a vendor says: "You've been so persistent, I'm gonna give you a shot" (Note: Only until you see the twenty leasing inquiries)
6. I love the consistent income
5. At parties, when introduced as being in the leasing business, to hear the other guy say "I'm resealing my driveway. Will you lease me a paver?"
4. For brokers only: Funding source's approval subject to explaining the inquiry from Capital One.
3. For funding sources only: When processing an application for Tony Marrone dba John's Auto Repair, to hear a broker say "I don't know who John is"
2. I love dealing with people and all their interesting, idiosyncratic little quirks
AND THE #1 REASON FOR STAYING IN THE LEASING INDUSTRY:
1. Leasing News' "The List"

Fort Myers, Florida
Very experienced and strong skills with both Captive and Specialty Sales Management. Over 25 years , will relocate and travel---successful and team player.
e-mail: tlinspections@gmail.com

While many Northern states are weathering the poor weather, taking it in their stride, the East Coast has been hard hit, particularly the middle states where Georgia has many schools closed as well as no mail delivery and businesses are closed, such as LPI Healthcare Financial Services, Marietta, Georgia. President Kurt Hess told his employees to stay home and sent emails to clients and others on their email list that due to the dangerous driving conditions in the surrounding area the company would be closed.

In the Far and Middle Northwest, most companies were open, although in some area the staff has been light due to the inclement weather conditions; however, most finance and leasing companies were in operation.

Airline and other means of transportation have been affected in most states as readers see on television and hear on the radio or read in the newspaper or other internet web news sites.

Summary: Since sales training is focused on techniques for improving sales, the results of sales training is usually short-term and not sustainable.

For some time now I've known that sales training doesn't work for most organizations long-term. While sales training can help some salespeople temporarily, senior sales leaders and senior executives must recognize that behavioral change - not sales training - is the key to superior, sustainable sales performance.

While thousands of training companies offer sales training programs for cold-calling, prospecting, planning account strategies, sales call planning, presenting to clients and negotiating, there isn't one sales training program I'm aware of that will, by itself, change a salesperson's behavior. And if you don't change a salesperson's behavior, what is learned from sales training won't last long-term.

So, what is it that changes selling behaviors? The academic answer may be complex, but for us regular folks it's pretty simple - salespeople, like anyone, will change their behavior when they perceive that there is something substantial in it for them to make a change.

Changing behavior is a process, and like all processes it must be managed. Behavior isn't changed in the same way you flip on a light switch. Salespeople almost never raise their hands to request sales training from their managers, and it's difficult to convince most salespeople that they need to change their selling behaviors. After all, their "natural" sales talent has gotten them this far!

An effective prescription for changing selling behaviors will include a consensus among senior managers of the relevance of the sales training to the most important strategic objectives of the business. Senior managers are much more likely to encourage and support a sales training initiative that promises to positively impact critical strategic objectives than sales training that delivers entertainment, and little else, to the sales team.

The next step, and this one is absolutely critical, is to communicate to the sales managers and the sales team the direct connection between the sales training and the strategic objectives of the business. Now, perhaps for the first time, the sales team can see the potential impact of their activities on important business objectives, instead of seeing only their effect on the quarter's top line number and in their commission checks.

Once the sales team understands their role in helping the company achieve strategic business objectives, they must clearly see how changing their selling behaviors will help them directly impact those objectives and how they will personally benefit from the change. Money is always an important factor, but so is personal development and growth.

The failure of sales training costs companies billions of dollars annually and wastes everyone's time. It doesn't have to be that way. When sales training is an integral part of a well thought out plan for changing behaviors to meet strategic objectives, the sales training can deliver desired results. Positive behavioral change benefits the company, customers, managers and sales professionals.

He is the founder of Selling-UpTM, a San Francisco-based sales improvement consulting firm. He developed Selling-Up's exclusive Sales Management Operating SystemTM and is publisher of Sales Journal, a monthly sales strategy publication for an E-suite audience. Steve created Selling-Up's most popular educational offerings, including Strategic Sales RoadmapTM and online courses such as Profits and Cash - The Game of Business and Assertive Negotiating.

Steve is a regular contributor to executive-level publications such as Customer Think and Customer Management IQ. Steve recently completed his first book, Selling The E-Suite, The Proven System For Reaching and Selling Senior Executives, in which he translates his experiences as a CEO into a practical guide for selling to senior executives. Steve can be reached at: schriest@selling-up.com

FIRST NATIONAL CAPITAL CORPORATION Is the 5th Largest Privately Held Equipment Finance Company In the United Stateswww.firstncc.com

Vehicle Lenders Group, LLC is looking for dynamic sales associate. Either work out of one of our offices in Calif. , Dayton, or Oyster Bay, NY or your own office.
Draw w/benefits after three month probation period.
Must have excellent references, honest, self motivated, able to generate $500,000 a month by the end
of 12 months of employment.
Curt Webster, CVLE 516-922-7447 ext 104

“Reports on credit activity were mixed across Federal Reserve Districts. Overall, loan demand was reported as stable in San Francisco, mixed in New York, steady to slightly softer in Kansas City, weaker in St. Louis and Dallas, and slowly improving in Philadelphia and Richmond. Demand for consumer loans declined in the New York, Cleveland, St. Louis, Kansas City, and San Francisco Districts. By contrast, consumer lending increased in the Dallas District, and exceeded expectations in the Chicago District. Bankers in Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Richmond anticipate consumer lending to expand in 2011.

“Demand for commercial and industrial loans was flat in New York, Kansas City, and San Francisco.

“Most Districts reporting on credit quality described it as improving, while bankers in the Cleveland District said that quality remained stable or edged up slightly. Reports on credit standards were mixed in New York, while standards were said to have eased somewhat in Atlanta, remained restrictive in San Francisco, and held steady in Kansas City. Delinquency rates were flat or trending down in Cleveland, while delinquency rates in the New York District rose for commercial mortgages, decreased in the consumer lending category, and remained unchanged for all other loans.”

These companies specialize in "C" and "D" credits, often new businesses, or businesses where the principal(s) have Beacon score around 600 or previous difficulties; meaning to become comfortable with the credit and financial situation you need to learn the "story" to make a positive decision, often requiring further security, shorter term, or additional guarantors. Many of these companies may also have programs for “A” and “B” rated companies, but their specialty is not being a “cookie cutter” and often require full financial statements and tax returns as well as a “story about the company, its history, goals, circumstances” to fully understand the full financial picture.

To qualify for this list, the company must be a funder (as qualified by Leasing News and on the “Funder List” and not a "Broker/Lessor", along with an acceptable Better Business Bureau Rating and no history of complaints at Leasing News. We reserve the right to not list a company who does not meet these qualifications.

Business Reports: Companies listed may make any netiquette comment about their company or reports or other information in the footnote section of their listing. Leasing News recommends readers also view the footnote as well as the section itself or searching reports on the business.

It also should be noted that if a BBB report listing is found by a reader, as there may not have been one when this was last up-dated, please send the link to kitmenkin@leasingnews.org so Leasing News may up-date this section.

(A) Pawnee Leasing Corporation; Some times we go higher than $30,000, but our marketplace is from $1,000 to $30,000. Broker Qualify - One year time in business

(B) * Allegiant Partners has expanded their maximum transaction size from $250,000 to $500,000 for the 5 western states of California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Arizona.
In addition to increasing the transaction size Allegiant is offering more competitve rates for these A- and B+ transactions. Broker Qualify - For Broker qualification please click here.Allegiant.pdf

(D)ABCO Leasing, Inc. (Seattle, WA) exclusively serves the broker community and has been in business since 1974. Since we retain all transactions in our own portfolio, we require full financial packages. We are best at deals that do not quite fit an “A Funder” due to a lack of flexibility or some type of an arbitrary matrix requirement. ABCO is an industry generalist that prides itself on being creative when structuring new business and in providing high quality service levels. Broker and deal contact: Brad Christensen, Broker Relations Manager, 877/634-4045 bradc@abcoleasing.net

(G) Cobra Capital LLC. Comments: Our registered trademark "Solutions that work" is our designator of origin and central marketing identity for both strong and weak credits. In addition to funding strong credits, we have also developed a 14 year history, (from Cobra and my prior company GALCO), with funding specialty, non-conforming transactions and have a solid reputation for candidly responding to our originators and lessees and working diligently to mitigate deal risk rather than making excuses to turn deals down. Our originators prefer our underwriting approach to non-conforming transactions since unlike most non-conforming funders, we prefer to mitigate risk versus jacking our return. Both Originators and Lessee's prefer our candid approach as we are also frequently asked to advise lessee's and lessors on the best way to structure their bank loans and raise capital due to our 30+ year banking and accounting backgrounds as my partner and I are both former bankers and CPA's.

(I) Standard Professional Services. LLC is a non-cookie cutter funder who does not credit score.

(J) Boston Financial & Equity Corporation, most of our leases are venture capital backed startups and turnarounds. We require full financial disclosures, CPA and internal statements, no tax returns. We do not required additional collateral, no PG's or RE needed. Do not send deals with large tax liens, especially if they are payroll taxes. Broker Qualify - A deal in hand and a full package.

(P) Financial Pacific Leasing supports a nationwide network of Brokers and Lessors. We specialize in "B" and "C" credits for established companies as well as companies under two years in business. Broker Qualify - Please Call or see "Prospective Broker" section on website

(Q) American Leasefund, Inc. funds small hard to do transactions under $50,000.00. Most of the transactions are "app only". We look for additional collateral or larger first payments to help the weaker credits. We maintain and service our own portfolio. All of our lessee billings are done via ACH. Broker Qualify - Please Call

(S) We at Summit Leasing consider ourselves to be primarily "B" credit lenders, working almost exclusively through brokers. Broker Qualify - Contact us

(X) Advantage Funding - While we also consider quality equipment leasing as a funder, in the title vehicle leasing business, we consider all types of situations and credits and speciality vehicles for commercial use. We have a history of understanding all types of title vehicle leasing. Broker Qualify - Please Call

(Z) TEAM Funding Solutions is a structured lender for brand new businesses or for older companies with previous credit problems. We do not credit score. The secret to producing an approval for C-Credits starts with interviewing your customer." Broker Qualify - Click here for Broker Enrollment Form.

(CC) Specializing in Machine Tools only for transactions up to $750k. National has been in the Machine Tool Finance business since 1986 and has a leasing proficient staff to accommodate the most challenging transaction. F ull financial disclosure required. We can provide structured financing for the story marginal credits. May require personal guarantees and/or down payments depending on the credit. Any size business accepted. For more information please contact Chris Chiappetta or Robert Lang at 800-669-7527.

(EE) BSB Leasing, Inc. is a direct funding source. In addition we offer an experienced Syndication Desk that can place transactions that fall outside of credit, equipment, geographic or dollar amount appetite.

(GG) Bankers Capital "We will do ANY Type of Equipment, in ANY industry, in ANY state. We especially like 6-figure transactions with full financial packages no matter how good or bad they look. We look to structure the story C&D credits with any kind of additional collateral that makes sense. It could be with 2nd or 3rd mortgages on residential or commercial Real Estate, additional equipment, cash value life insurance, security deposits, vendor agreements. We look for any way to make the deal work instead of looking for any way to decline the deal." Broker Qualify - Please contact Larry LaChance

Blue Valentine (The Weinstein Company): Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams deliver superb performances in this frank, deeply affecting drama dealing with scenes from a marriage. Gosling and Williams play Dean and Cindy, a young married couple who, after years together, are starting to show signs of anxiety and tension in their daily lives. As they remember their earlier encounters and happier times with family and friends, the two come face to face with the painful realization that their emotions for each other may have turned sour. Will they be able to rekindle their feelings, or has their love stagnated beyond repair? Taking a revealing and painfully honest look at modern relationships, director Derek Cianfrance’s small-scaled yet poignant film is an alternately brutal and tender emotional ride.

Somewhere (Focus Pictures): After the colorful excess of “Marie Antoinette,” director Sofia Coppola revisits her “Lost in Translation” themes with this minimalistic, poignant tale about the emptiness of celebrity. Set largely in L.A.’s famous Chateau Marmont hotel, it follows Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff), a Ferrari-driving, melancholy superstar caught in a joyless circle of parties, interviews, and encounters. A ray of light comes into his overcast life in the shape of his 11-year-old daughter Cleo (Elle Fanning), who comes to spend some time with him and, perhaps, renew his long-lost love for life. Handling the bond between estranged father and daughter with a delicate touch, Coppola crafts a heartfelt and cutting vision of human connection and potential redemption that lingers in the mind.

Netflix Tip: With the death of the great character actor Pete Postlethwaite (1946-2011), the screen has lost one of its most distinctive faces. Pay tribute to the man Steven Spielberg once called “the greatest actor in the world” with a Netflix festival. Some suggestions: Distant Voices, Still Lives” (1988), “In the Name of the Father” (1993) (for which he won a Supporting Oscar nomination), “The Usual Suspects” (1995), “Amistad” (1997), and, most recently, “The Town” (2010).

Animal Kingdom (Sony): The underworld trajectory made famous in such classics as “Scarface” and “Goodfellas” gets a Down Under twist in this gritty, muscular gangster saga set in Australia. The fast-moving, multi-character story centers on 17-year-old Joshua (James Frecheville), who after the death of his mother goes to live in Melbourne with his grandmother Janine (Jacki Weaver). It soon becomes clear that Janine is the ruthless leader of a crime organization dealing in drugs and robberies, with his uncles acting as enforcers. With both criminals and the authorities drawing nearer, will Joshua fall prey to the family business, or will he be the one to break away from this web of violence? With taut direction by David Michod and outstanding performances, this is a robust example of genre filmmaking.

Broadcast News (Criterion): Long before the shenanigans of “Morning Glory,” this exceptional 1987 hit set the gold standard for behind-the-TV-scenes humor. The setting is a TV news show, where driven producer Jane (Holly Hunter) finds herself torn between two potential anchormen: Tom (William Hurt), a perfectly groomed and deeply egotistical veteran of the news circuit, and Aaron (Albert Brooks), the intelligent but insecure reporter who puts media integrity before appearances. James L. Brooks, the legendary veteran of TV classics like “The Mary Tyler Moore” and “The Simpsons,” brings his gold touch to this breathlessly engaging romantic comedy, which blends a quick wit with richly human eccentricities and marvelous turns by its cast (including a terrific support turn by Jack Nicholson). Most modern comedies could learn a thing or two from it.

Nowhere Boy (Sony): The childhood of notorious Beatles member John Lennon is the subject of this accomplished biopic, which is already gathering early awards-season buzz. Taking place in Lennon’s native Liverpool in the mid-1950s, it follows the young lad (played by Aaron Johnson) as he stumbles into the colorful world of rock ‘n’ roll as a way to escape from the dreariness of everyday life. It’s not long before he becomes friends with a certain teenaged Paul McCartney, though tragedy involving his Aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas) puts his resilience to the test. Will the boy be able to deal with the pressures of becoming a world-famous icon? Catch the movie, and then revisit John Lennon’s music for a full view of the artist.

"...mid-mounted 4.5-liter V8 gasoline engine that kicks out 565 hp at a searing 10,300 rpm and provides drive exclusively to the rear wheels. It is a development of the unit used by Porsche in the earlier 918 Spyder, but with an extra 800 rpm at the top end, it produces an added 65 hp in race trim.”

Porsche Cars North America told Leasing News: “We do not have any pricing information because the 918 RSR is a concept race car, therefore it is not priced.”

The FDIC announced the formation of a new dedicated, toll-free hotline for small businesses. The new hotline became operational yesterday, Thursday, and allows small business owners to make inquiries with FDIC officials or to register concerns about the availability of credit. The FDIC will respond to inquiries about policies and financial institutions it regulates as well as make referrals to other governmental agencies where appropriate.

"A combination of factors has created issues and challenges for small businesses, but it is turning in terms of credit availability. I think it is going to get better, and we're working to facilitate that with the dialogue this conference will spark along with our new hotline and website dedicated to small businesses," said FDIC Chairman Sheila C. Bair.

The small business hotline is available Monday thru Friday, 8am to 8pm, Eastern Standard Time.

As part of the kickoff of the hotline, it will be open this weekend only, 9am to 5pm, Eastern Standard Time. The toll-free number is 1-855-FDIC-BIZ (1-855-334-2249).

To complement the new small business hotline, the FDIC also created a dedicated Web site for small businesses to utilize: www.fdic.gov/smallbusiness.

(Leasing News provides this ad as a trade for investigations
and background information provided by John Kenny)

#### Press Release #############################

30 Months for Filing False IRS Claims/Identity Theft

Los Angeles – On Thursday, January 13, 2011, a Riverside woman was sentenced for her participation in a scheme to defraud the IRS in which she and others filed tax returns with the IRS that falsely claimed tax refunds.

Dora Argote was sentenced to 30 months before United States District Court Judge A. Howard Matz. In March 2010, a federal grand jury returned a Superseding Indictment charging Argote with participating in a scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service by obtaining and using the personal identifying information of others to prepare and file fraudulent Federal Income Tax Returns. On July 28, 2010, Argote pled guilty to two counts of Mail Fraud and one count of Aggravated Identity Theft. Argote pled guilty to unlawfully using a means of identification of another person to obtain a $10,860 U.S. Treasury Check

According to the indictment, beginning in early 2002 and continuing through June 2007, the tax returns that Dora Argote and others filed with the IRS falsely claimed that they and the individuals whose personal identifying information they obtained were entitled to tax refunds based upon falsified income and withholding amounts.

Dora Argote and others falsified IRS Forms W-2 and W-2G, detailing fictitious income and withholdings, in their own names and the names of those whose personal identifying information they had obtained to substantiate the refunds claimed. Typically, the falsified Forms W-2 and W-2G’s were submitted to return preparers for preparation and filing of tax returns with the IRS. In total, Dora Argote’s participation in the scheme caused a tax loss to the government of $839,866.87, which she was ordered to repay as a part of her sentence.

On October 4, 2010, Dora Argote’s husband, Abelardo Argote, who was also charged in the indictment, was sentenced to 70 months for his involvement. Abelardo was further ordered to pay restitution of $839,866.87 and to spend three years on supervised release after serving his prison sentence.

Dora Argote was ordered to remain on home detention until her self-surrender date of May 2, 2011. Dora Argote has been on home detention since April of 2009, while the outcome of her case was pending.

The investigation and prosecution for Dora Argote was conducted by IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Secret Service in conjunction with the United States Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles.

1639-The first formal declaration of American Democracy was the “fundamental orders,” drawn up by Roger Ludlow and adopted by representatives of Wethersfield, Windsow, and Hartford, Connecticut. It was a written body of laws by which they would govern themselves. It is considered the first constitution of colonial Connecticut, with the declaration “...the foundation of authority is in the free consent of the people.” Roger Ludlow was influenced by a sermon delivered May 31, 1638, by the Reverend Thomas Hooker at Hartford's Center Church.
1639-Connecticut colony organizes under Fundamental Ordershttp://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/D/1601-1650/connecticut/orders.htm
1739-Birthday of William Whipple, American patriot and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Born at Kittery, ME, he died at Portsmouth, NH, Nov 10, 1785http://www.williamwhipple.com/http://www.colonialhall.com/whipple/whipple.asphttp://www.whipple.org/docs/photos/moffat-ladd.html
1741-Birthday of Benedict Arnold, a revolutionary war hero, injured in battle, not happy with the French, deserted to the British during the war in trade for plans of West Point, which at the time was a major fortress guarding a major waterway and route of supplies. His name has since become synonymous with treachery. Born at Norwich, CT. Died June 14, 1801 at London, England.http://earlyamerica.com/review/fall97/arnold.html
1784-The Continental Congressratified the Treaty of Paris , officially establishing the United States as in independent and sovereign nation.http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jan14.html
1794-Dr. Jesse Bennett of Edom, VA, performed the first successful Caesarean section. The patient was his wife. Bennett had asked Dr. Alexander Humphreys of Staunton, VA, to assist in performing the operation, but because of the low chance of success, Humphreys had declined. Dr. Bennett performed the operation with the assistance of two slaves, who held the patient. She was placed on a table made of two planks, load on a couple of barrels, and was given laudanum in lieu of an anesthetic.
1799-The first US Senator to be impeached was William Blount, the first senator from Tennessee, who was elected on August 2, 1796, and served from December 6, 1876, until July 8, 1797, when he was expelled. The trial was held form December 17, 1798 to January 14, 1799, when the vice president announced the decision of the High Court of Impeachment that the charges were dismissed for want of jurisdiction. Blount was accused of entering into a conspiracy with British officers to divert part of Louisiana from Spain to Great Britain,, “ a high misdemeanor, entirely inconsistent with his public trust and duty as a Senator.” While the case was in progress in Washington, DC, Blount was elected to serve in the Tennessee state senate, and at the opening session in 1798, was chosen to be its speaker.http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/B/blount/blount.htmhttp://www.unicover.com/EA6ABUXA.HTMhttp://www.blountweb.com/williamblount/http://www.blountmansion.org/http://www.ci.maryville.tn.us/cityhist/index.htm
1799- Eli Whitney receives government contract for 10,000 musketshttp://www.eliwhitney.org/ew.htm
1806-Birthday of Matthew Fontaine Maury, Naval officer, born at Fredericksburg, VA. Maury established oceanography as a branch of science and revolutionized the recording of oceanographic data as a superintendent of the Naval Observatory. Died at Lexington, VA, Feb 1, 1873.
1863—Birthday of Richard Outcault, creator of the newspaper “funnies.” When Outcault was asked by the New York World's Sunday editor to submit drawings for use with their new process for printing color pictures, colored comics or “funny papers” were born. Outcault's first color drawing, titled “ Origin of a New Species” was published Nov 18,1894. The first regular colored strip, “Hogan's Alley,” drawn by Outcault, began appearing with its main character's blustery comments written across his nightshirt. It was Outcault's strip “Buster Brown” that brought him celebrity and fortune. Outcault was born at Lancaster, OH, and died Sept 25, 1929 at Flushing, NY.
1865--PALMER, WILLIAM J. Medal of Honor
Rank and organization. Colonel, 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry. Place and date: At Red Hill, Ala., 14 January 1865. Entered service at. Philadelphia, Pa. Born. 16 September 1836, Leipsic, Kent County, Del. Date of issue. 24 February 1894. Citation: With less than 200 men, attacked and defeated a superior force of the enemy, capturing their fieldpiece and about 100 prisoners without losing a man.
1878- US Supreme court rules race separation on trains unconstitutional. On May 18,1896, the Supreme Court endorsed “separate but equal” racial segregation with its “Plessy versus Ferguson” decision, a ruling that was overturned 58 years later.http://www.landmarkcases.org/plessy/background3.html
1882 - Southern California's greatest snow occurred on this date. Fifteen inches blanketed San Bernardino, and even San Diego reported a trace of snow.
1896 – Birthday of American novelist John Dos Passos, (the U.S.A. trilogy), and later Cold War warrior, born Chicago. An integral part of the Lost Generation crowd in Paris in the 20s. His increasing fascism estranged him from most of his associates, including Hemingway, it is reported. His philosophy changed over his life from very liberal to conservative. He is still controversial today and his books very well read and discussed. He died in 1970.http://www.cyberonic.net/~danne1/dospassos/dospassos.htmlhttp://www.csupomona.edu/~rljohnson/Professional/DosPassos.htmlhttp://www.cyberonic.net/~danne1/dospassos/dospassosimages.html
1896-Carlo Ponzi immigrates to America from Italy on this day. The small-time con man would later stumble into one of the largest scams of all time and have an entire type of crime named after him: the "Ponzi scheme.” For 20 years, Ponzi bounced from job to job, always dreaming up a way to make millions but never coming close. But in 1919, he came up with a new plan. Ponzi told friends and potential investors that they would get a 50 percent return on their money within three months if they invested with him. The hapless investors were never told much about what Ponzi planned on doing with their money, but, when pressed, he told them that it had to do with international postal exchange coupons, an obscure field that virtually no one knew much about. Ponzi told his marks that they could cash out at the end of three months or roll over their investments. Ponzi promptly paid off his initial investors and soon the investment dollars were pouring in. Thousands of people came to his offices, where money was stuffed in every desk drawer and filing cabinet. Ponzi was taking in an estimated $200,000 a day at the frenzy's peak. When a local writer questioned Ponzi's financial record, he threatened to sue and scared off further inquiry. Ponzi went on a personal spending spree in 1920, buying 100 suits and 100 pairs of shoes. He also took $3 million in cash to the Hanover Trust Company and bought a controlling interest in the reputable firm. However, when state investigators finally began examining his books and interviewing his workers they found that there was no real investment going on. Of course, only the very early investors actually got any money back, and these funds came from later investors. Such a scam, known as a pyramid scheme, inevitably explodes, as it did on August 13, 1920, when thousands of investors demanded their money back. Ponzi, anticipating the collapse, had already taken $2 million to the Saratoga casinos in a vain attempt to make up the lost money. Ponzi went to jail and was deported to Italy in 1934. He told reporters, "I hope the world forgives me.” Perhaps taken in by his apparent contrition, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini gave Ponzi a high position in the government's financial sector. However, human nature is very difficult to change, and Ponzi eventually embezzled funds from the country's treasury and escaped to Brazil, where he died in 1949.
1910---Drummer Jimmy Crawford born Memphis, Tenn. With Jimmy Lunceford 1929-42, many bands.
1914 - Henry Ford announced the latest advance in the assembly line production of automobiles, the continuous motion method. This new concept decreased assembly time of a car from 12½ hours tohttp://www.time.com/time/time100/builder/profile/ford.html 93 minutes.http://www.hfmgv.org/
1916-Birthday of African-American Novelist John Oliver Killens, born Macon, Georgia. died October 27, 1957, Brooklyn, New York. His novels And Then We Heard the Thunder and 'Sippi dramatized racism in the U.S. Army during World War II and the South during the voting rights struggles of the 1960s. Both And Then We Heard the Thunder and Killens's satirical novel about black class divisions, Cotillion, or One Good Bull Is Half the Herd , were nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.http://www.libs.uga.edu/gawriters/killens.htmlhttp://aalbc.com/authors/killens.htm
1916-Birthday of tenor sax player, arranger/producer Maxwell Davis, Independence, KS, died September 18, 1970,http://www.xtrememusician.com/info/artists/profiles/2946.htmlhttp://www.worldwidewax.com/hrecs/52/5212.htm
1917-Birthday of trumpeter Billy Butterfieldhttp://www.musicweb.uk.net/encyclopaedia/b/B322.HTMhttp://www.landing.com/profiles/matteson.htmhttp://art.staviator.com/B/Billy_Butterfield.html
1919-Birthday of writer, columnist Andy Rooney, Albany, NY.http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes.php3?author=Andy+Rooney http://www.funny2.com/rooney.htmhttp://www.newseum.org/warstories/interviews/mp3/journalists/bio.asp?id=14
1919-Birthday of Shirley Jackson, American novelist and short story writer. Most famous story "The Lottery" (1949).
1919-Charles Stoneham, John McGraw and Francis X. McQuade bought the New York Giants from Charles Hempstead. The Stoneham family controlled the Giants for the next 56 years and moved them to San Francisco after the 1957 season.
1930- Canadian avant-garde jazz trumpeter and composer Kenny Wheeler was born in Toronto. He moved to England in 1952, rising to prominence in Britain in the 1960's and in the European avant-garde the following decade. From 1971 to '76, Wheeler performed with US reedman Anthony Braxton, with whom he often appeared in North America
1932-Brithday of drummer Grady Tate, Durham, NChttp://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Grady%20Tate.htmlhttp://www.cpcn.com/articles/012998/six1.shtml
1938 – Birthday of Jack Jones (John Allan Jones) (singer: Lollipops and Roses, Wives and Lovers, The Impossible Dream, Lady, The Race is On, Love Boat theme). His father was a very famous singer in the 1930's and early 1940's.
http://www.interq.or.jp/jazz/jackjone/http://www.jackjones.org/
1938-Birthday of Allen Toussaint, born New Orleans, LA; one of the most important forces in New Orleans rock 'n' roll in the 1960's. Toussaint, a pianist, songwriter and arranger, played on some of Fats Domino's early recordings. And in the '60s, he produced and arranged such hits as "Ooh Poo Pah Doo" by Jesse Hill, "Mother-In-Law" by Ernie K-Doe and "I Like It Like That" by Chris Kenner. Allen Toussaint is also the composer of "Java," an instrumental hit for both trumpeter Al Hirt and pianist Floyd Cramer.
1940—Birthday of Julian Bond (legislator: Georgia [1965]; civil rights leader: helped found Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee; chairman of NAACP board of directors) , born Nashville, TN.http://www.omega23.com/books/b/julianbond.html
1941 -- A. Philip Randolph, president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and chief spokesperson for the African American working class, calls for a March on Washington, demanding racial integration of the military and equal access to defense-industry jobs. The call prompts black enthusiasm too great for the government to ignore. On June 18th, less than two weeks before the march, Beloved and Respected Comrade Leader President Roosevelt invited Randolph to the White House. In the unpleasant confrontation, Randolph told Roosevelt he will abandon the march plans only if Roosevelt bars job discrimination in both the defense industry and government. Incredulous at Randolph's obstinacy, Roosevelt signed Executive Order 8802 [eighty-eight oh two], the government's most significant action on behalf of African Americans since post-Civil War reconstruction.http://www.apri.org/Bio-Rand1.htmhttp://www.aphiliprandolphmuseum.com/evo_history5.htmlhttp://www.pbs.org/weta/apr/aprbio.htmlhttp://www.pbs.org/weta/apr/
1941 - Then head football coach of Massillon High School, Paul Brown, was named head coach of Ohio State's Buckeyes. In his seven years of high school competition, Brown's team only lost one game.http://massillonproud.com/massillon/mem2.htmhttp://massillonproud.com/fans/stadium.htmhttp://massillonproud.com/massillon/index.shtml
1943 - The Allies met in Casablanca to agree on a strategy for concluding World War II and to demand the unconditional surrender from the enemy. United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first President of the United States to fly in an airplane while he was in office, when he flew from Miami, Florida to French Morocco.
1944-Birthday of guitar/accordian/zydeco Paul “Little Buck” Senegal, LAhttp://www.buckwheatzydeco.com/bwzydecoourstory/zydeco_20year.html
1947--Kenton Band records “Intermission Riff,” Capitol.
1947-Birthday of Gene Alden Washington, former football player, born Tuscaloosa, AL.
1949-The Department of Justice went trust busting on January 14 and filed an anti-trust suit against AT &T. The suit was designed to break AT& T's choke hold over the industry by forcing the company to relinquish ownership of Western Electric, a potent manufacturing concern. After much wrangling, the suit was settled in 1956, when AT&T consented to limit the scope of its business to the national phone network and government jobs.
1950---Top Hits
Dear Hearts and Gentle People - Dinah Shore
A Dreamer's Holiday - Perry Como
The Old Master Painter - Snooky Lanson
I Love You Because - Leon Payne
1951 - In Los Angeles, California, the first National Football League Pro Bowl All-Star Game was played. The American Conference beat the National Conference, 28-27.
1952- the Modern Jazz Quartet was formally incorporated, beginning a career that lasted more than 40 years. The group signed a unique partnership agreement stipulating that the quartet would have no leader. The original members were pianist John Lewis, vibraharpist Milt Jackson, bassist Percy Heath and drummer Kenny Clarke. The MJQ had only one personnel change in 42 years - Connie Kay replaced Clarke in 1955.
1952-“Today” Premiered on TV. The NBC program that started the morning news format we now have today. Captained by Dave Garroway, the show was segmented with bits and pieces of newes, sports, weather, interviews and other features that were repeated so that viewers did not have to stop their morning routine to watch. The segments were brief and to the point. Slyvester Weaver devised this concept to capitalize on television's unusual qualities. What used to take three hours to broadcast live across the country was done in two with videotape of a delayed basis. The addition of chimpanzee J. Fred Muggs in 1953 helped pus ratings up. There have been a number of hosts of the years, from John Chancellor and Hugh Downs to Tom Brokaw, Bryant Gumbel and Matt Lauer. Female hosts ( originally called, “ Today Girls” ) include Betsy Palmer, Florence Henderson Barbara Walters, Jane Pauley and Katie Couric.
1954 - Screen actress and sex symbol Marilyn Monroe, age 29, and New York Yankees baseball star Joe DiMaggio were married in San Francisco. Monroe later wrote in her autobiography, "That was something I had never planned on or dreamed about - becoming the wife of a great man.http://www.amctv.com/article/0,,1234-1--0-99-PST,00.htmlhttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dimaggio/peopleevents/pande12.html
1954-Alan Freed, disc jockey of the popular radio show Rock 'n' Roll Party, produces his first rock and roll dance concert in New York at the St. Nicholas Arena. The Rock and Roll Ball featured the Drifters, Fats Domino, Joe Turner, and others. All the musicians were black, but at least half the audience packing the arena was white. Freed, who was also white, had been an influential force in popularizing rock and roll (then a synonym for rhythm and blues) since he started airing a radio show in Cleveland called Moondog House in 1951. The self-dubbed "King of the Moondoggers" (who actually preferred classical music) spoke to listeners as if they all belonged to a hip kingdom, united by their affinity for the same music. In 1952, he had thrown a rhythm and blues concert called the Moondog Coronation Ball, which drew more than 10,000 people. An angry mob, denied admittance once the arena was full, started a riot, and teens stormed the stage, abruptly ending the concert. Cleveland city officials accused him of "reckless disregard" for public safety, but the riot turned him into a local celebrity. Radio station WJW gave him nightly airtime for his program. The following year, he threw The Biggest Rhythm and Blues Show tour, featuring Ruth Brown and Wynonie Harris. The tour drew a largely black audience, but within just a few years rhythm and blues crossed over to become the dominant mainstream musical form. The Moondog had to stop using his popular moniker in 1954; he had borrowed it from the song "Moondog Symphony," recorded by a blind New York City street musician who won a court battle with Freed, which stripped Freed of the ability to use the name. Forced to find a new identity for his show, he decided to rename it Alan Freed's Rock and Roll Party . He copyrighted the phrase in partnership with black music legend Morris Levy, veteran promoter Lew Platt, and radio station WINS. But soon, the tidal wave of rock and roll made his copyright virtually useless; nevertheless, in 1955, Cleveland was selected as the site for construction of the Rock and Roll Museum because Freed had popularized the term there.
1955-Disc jockey Alan Freed begins his first New York area Rock & Roll Ball, a two night affair which is held at the Saint Nicholas Arena in Harlem. Both shows at the 6,000 seat arena are sold out in advance, bringing in $24,000. Those appearing on stage include Big Joe Turner, the Clovers, Fats Domino, the Moonglows, Drifters and the Harptones.
1956 - Rock ‘n' roller, Little Richard, sang the recently released, "Tutti-Frutti". The Pat Boone version of the song became more popular as it appealed more to white audienceshttp://www.littlerichard.com/
1958---Top Hits
At the Hop - Danny and The Juniors
Stood Up/Waitin' in School - Ricky Nelson
Kisses Sweeter Than Wine - Jimmie Rodgers
Great Balls of Fire - Jerry Lee Lewis
1960-Elvis Presley is promoted to Sgt. in the U.S. Army, receiving a pay increase of $22.94 per month.
1963- Bob Dylan sat in on a recording session in London for an album by folk singers Richard Farina and Eric Von Schmidt. Dylan was billed as "Blind Boy Grunt."
1963 -- George Wallace sworn in as Governor of Alabama, his address states "segregation now; segregation tomorrow; segregation forever!". It was written by Asa Carter, the founder of a KKK terrorist organization. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/wallace/timeline/index_2.html
1964 – first hootenanny was held at the White House, as the New Christy Minstrels performed not only for President and Lady Bird Johnson, but also for Italy's President.
1966 -- March on Atlanta to protest ouster of Julian Bond, African American from Georgia House of Representatives, after his endorsement of SNCC statement critical of US involvement in Vietnam; basically he opposed the war in Viet Nam. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. “ — Martin Luther King Jr.http://www.africana.com/Articles/tt_093.htmhttp://lists.village.virginia.edu/sixties/Graphics/
Bond/bond_comic_frame_06.GIF
1966- rock promoter Bill Graham leased the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco. The Fillmore became the prime venue for psychedelic rock in the late '60s
1966---Top Hits
We Can Work It Out - The Beatles
She's Just My Style - Gary Lewis and The Playboys
Flowers on the Wall - The Statler Brothers
Giddyup Go - Red Sovine
1966-David Jones changes his name to David Bowie to avoid confusion with Davy Jones from the Monkees, just in time for the release of his single, "Can't Help Thinking About Me". He would later say that he chose "Bowie" because he likes that "big American bear-killin' knife."
1967- Sonny and Cher release "The Beat Goes On"http://www.reallyrics.com/lyrics/S024800010004.asp
1967-The first "Human Be-In" is held in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Among the performers are The Grateful Dead and The Jefferson Airplane
1968-The Green Bay Packers won their second straight Super Bow, defeating the Oakland Raiders, 33-14. Packers quarterback Bart Starr completed 13 of 24 passes for 202 years and one touchdown and was named the game's Most Valuable Player.
1968-Rapper LL Cool J is born.
1968-Birthday of singer James Todd Smith ( L.L.Cool J ), St. Abans, Queens, New York.http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/bio.asp?oid=933andcf=933http://www.llcoolj.com/
1969-*WARREN, JOHN E., JR.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company C, 2d Battalion, (Mechanized), 22d Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Tay Ninh Province, Republic of Vietnam, 14 January 1969. Entered service at: New York, N.Y . Born: 16 November 1946, Brooklyn, N.Y. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. 1st Lt. Warren, distinguished himself at the cost of his life while serving as a platoon leader with Company C. While moving through a rubber plantation to reinforce another friendly unit, Company C came under intense fire from a well-fortified enemy force. Disregarding his safety, 1st Lt. Warren with several of his men began maneuvering through the hail of enemy fire toward the hostile positions. When he had come to within 6 feet of one of the enemy bunkers and was preparing to toss a hand grenade into it, an enemy grenade was suddenly thrown into the middle of his small group. Thinking only of his men, 1st Lt. Warren fell in the direction of the grenade, thus shielding those around him from the blast. His action, performed at the cost of his life, saved 3 men from serious or mortal injury. First Lt. Warren's ultimate action of sacrifice to save the lives of his men was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
1970- Diana Ross performed for the last time with the Supremes at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas. The show began with a medley of hits and ended with "The Impossible Dream."
1972-“ Sanford and Son” premiered on TV. This NBC sitcom gained immediate popularity depicting an African American father and son engaged in the junkyard business. Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin developed the comedy series based on the British, “Steptoe and Son.” Comedian Redd Fox played Fred Sanford. His son, Lamont, was played by Demond Wilson. Others appearing on the show were Whitman Mayo as Grady, Slappy White as Melvin, LaWanda Page as Aunt Esther, Gregory Sierra as Julio. Nathaniel Taylor as Rollo, Raymond Allen as Uncle Woody, Don Bexley as Bubba Bexley, Lynn Hamilton as Donna Harris, aHoward Plat and Hal William as Hoppy and Smitty, Pat Morita as Ah Chew, Marlene Clark as Janet and Edward Craford as Roger. The last telecast was September 2,1977.
1973 - The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to go undefeated - a perfect season. They defeated the Washington Redskins 14-7 in Super Bowl VII. Tickets were $15.00. Kickoff time was 12:30 p.m. in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Miami finished the season 17-0.http://images.nfl.com/history/images/0114.jpg
1973 - Elvis Presley drew the largest audience for a single TV show to that time -- an estimated one billion viewers in 40 countries. "Elvis - Aloha From Hawaii", a live, worldwide concert from Honolulu International Center Arena. Performed at 12:30 a.m. Hawaiian Time, it was beamed live via Globecam Satellite to Australia, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, South Vietnam and other countries, and was seen on a delayed basis in approximately 30 European countries. The first American airing was April 4th on NBC-TV. The show was also released as a two-record album, and became one of Elvis's top-selling LPs.
1973- bass guitarist Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead was arrested at his home in Fairfax, California on drug charges.
1974---Top Hits
The Joker - Steve Miller Band
Show and Tell - Al Wilson
Smokin' in the Boys Room - Brownsville Station
I Love - Tom T. Hall
1975-Joe Walsh is presented a Gold record for his third solo album, "So What".
1978-The Sex Pistols play their final gig at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. The following day, Johnny Rotten (born John Lydon) will quit the band, effectively bringing their brief career to an end.
1979 - Chicago, IL, was in the midst of their second heaviest snow of record as, in thirty hours, the city was buried under 20.7 inches of snow. The twenty-nine inch snow cover following the storm was an all-time record for Chicago
1980- "Blues Brothers" movie with Dan Akroyd and John Belushi openshttp://www.fast-rewind.com/http://blues.squidly.org/http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~pringle/bluesbros/movie/trivia.html
1982---Top Hits
Physical - Olivia Newton-John
Waiting for a Girl Like You - Foreigner
Let's Groove - Earth, Wind and Fire
Fourteen Carat Mind - Gene Watson
1984- Madonna made her debut on "American Bandstand," singing "Holiday."
1986 - "Rambo: First Blood, Part II" broke the record set by "Ghostbusters", for first day orders, when it arrived at video stores. 435,000 copies of the video were sold, for a total of almost $21.4 million worth.
1989 - A winter storm spread snow and sleet and freezing rain from the Middle Mississippi Valley to the northeastern U.S. Freezing rain in West Virginia caused fifteen traffic accidents in just a few minutes west of Charleston. Tennessee was deluged with up to 7.5 inches of rain. Two inches of rain near Clarksville TN left water in the streets as high as car doors.
1990 - The pilot episode to launch the “The Simpsons” series on Fox was 7G02Bart the Genius . There was a test launch on December 17, 1989 and originally the show was seen in “shorts” on the Tracey Ullman Show. The originator of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie is cartoonist Matt Groening.http://www.snpp.com/guides/lisa-2.html#2.3.1http://www.snpp.com/lists.html
1990---Top Hits
Another Day in Paradise - Phil Collins
Pump Up the Jam - Technotronic featuring Felly
How Am I Supposed to Live Without You - Michael Bolton
It Ain't Nothin' - Keith Whitley
1997-The Beach Boys guest star on an episode of ABC-TV's Home Improvement. They played the cousins of 'Wilson', Tim 'The Tool Man' Taylor's next door neighbor and sang "Barbra Ann" with the show's cast.
1998- 100th episode of "Ellen" airs, starring Ellen DeGenereshttp://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/1777/http://www.jumptheshark.com